ML25303A311
| ML25303A311 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Kemmerer File:TerraPower icon.png |
| Issue date: | 11/04/2025 |
| From: | NRC/NRR/DANU |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML25303A311 (1) | |
Text
THIS NRC STAFF DRAFT SE HAS BEEN PREPARED AND IS BEING RELEASED TO SUPPORT INTERACTIONS WITH THE ACRS. THIS DRAFT SE HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO FULL NRC MANAGEMENT AND LEGAL REVIEWS AND APPROVALS, AND ITS CONTENTS SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS OFFICIAL AGENCY POSITIONS.
OFFICIAL USE ONLY - PROPRIETARY INFORMATION 13 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 13.1 Research and Development Chapter 13 of the Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 (KU1) Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) identifies those structures, systems, and components (SSCs) that require further research and development (R&D) to confirm their design requirements.
The applicable regulatory requirements for the evaluation of R&D are as follows:
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.34(a)(8),
10 CFR 50.35(a)(3) and (b), and 10 CFR 50.43(e).
10 CFR 50.34(a)(8) requires an applicant for a construction permit (CP) to identify those SSCs of the facility requiring R&D to confirm the adequacy of their design. The applicant must identify and describe the R&D program which will be conducted to resolve safety questions associated with any such SSCs and provide a schedule of the R&D program showing that the safety questions will be resolved at or before the latest date stated in the application for completion of construction of the facility.
10 CFR 50.35(a)(3) allows the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to issue a CP if the Commission finds, in part, that safety features or components requiring R&D have been described and the applicant has identified, and there will be conducted, an R&D program reasonably designed to resolve any safety questions associated with such features or components. 10 CFR 50.35(b) specifies that the Commission may incorporate provisions into the CP requiring the applicant to furnish periodic reports of the progress and results of R&D programs designed to resolve safety questions.
In 10 CFR 50.43(e), the NRC lists performance demonstration requirements specific to certain applications under 10 CFR Part 50 and 10 CFR Part 52 that propose nuclear reactor designs that differ significantly from light water reactor designs licensed before 1997 or use simplified, inherent, passive, or other innovative means to accomplish their safety functions. The staff notes that while 10 CFR 50.43(e) is not applicable to a CP application, completion of the R&D activities discussed in the PSAR may be, in part, necessary for the required performance demonstrations at the operating license stage. As such, the NRC staff considered the R&D activities in contemplation of ensuring a clear path to demonstrating compliance with 10 CFR 50.43(e) at the operating license phase. The regulation in 10 CFR 50.43(e)(1) states that the NRC will approve applications for such a reactor design only if:
(i) the performance of each safety feature of the design has been demonstrated through either analysis, appropriate test programs, experience, or a combination thereof; (ii) interdependent effects among the safety features of the design are acceptable, as demonstrated by analysis, appropriate test programs, experience, or a combination thereof; and